Davis Mills trending towards being Houston Texans QB2

Dylan Grausz | Aug 21, 2024

Aug 1, 2024; Canton, Ohio, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills (10) throws the ball during the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports / Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Two years ago, Davis Mills started 15 games for the Houston Texans, throwing 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions while guiding the team to a 3-11-1 record a year after being drafted in the third round out of Stanford. The next season, Houston added C.J. Stroud to its quarterback room, drafting the highly touted prospect in the first round and quickly named him the starter, where in his debut season, he evolved into one of the league’s top gunslingers. This left Mills out of the fold, sending the third-year veteran to the bench where he would become the backup. But in 2024, Mills has continued to impress, putting him in line to be Stroud’s clear-cut backup when the season begins on September 8.

Mills, who only played in six games last season in relief of Stroud where he threw two touchdowns and no interceptions, has impressed through the early stages of camp, going 10-for-13 with a touchdown in the Hall of Fame game against the Chicago Bears before going 8-for-13 with 89 yards in the team’s second preseason contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, Mills sustained a rib injury in the contest which forced him to miss the third preseason game against the New York Giants.

Since he missed the game, veteran Case Keenum, who is battling Mills for the backup quarterback job, got some extra reps and while he went 5-for-6 for 40 yards, is still considered to be behind Mills according to the Houston Chronicle, with the former Cardinal QB not only having more experience with this current Texans’ system, but also forming a strong connection with the receivers, while also looking sharper during practice. Being in the last year of his rookie deal and the loser of the position battle possibly facing a trade, Mills hopes to return for the final preseason game against the Rams and make one last impression before rosters and week one depth charts are finalized.

While never considered the long-term answer for Houston, Mills has established himself as one of the league’s most reliable backups, with a rookie 2021 season that saw him throw 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 13 games followed by his strong 2022 season. Despite the Texans struggling and missing the playoffs in both of those seasons, Mills provided some comfort knowing that if needed, he can deliver strong performances. For his career, Mills has played in 34 games with 26 starts, throwing 35 touchdowns and 25 interceptions and possessing a passer rating of 83.0.

At Stanford, Mills’ best season came in 2019 when he played in eight games (six starts) and threw for 1,960 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. Spending a majority of his Cardinal career as a backup to K.J. Costello, Mills finally got his chance to be the full-time starter in the COVID shortened 2020 season, where he started in all five games. 

This will be a pivotal season for Mills as he fights to earn another contract. While he may not see much action this year assuming Stroud can stay healthy, his leadership is certainly felt within the locker room with his presence being ever so valuable for a team eager to make both its second straight playoff appearance and win its second consecutive AFC South title for the first time since the 2018 and 2019 seasons.